Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments

SoylentNews is people

SoylentNews is powered by your submissions, so send in your scoop. Only 19 submissions in the queue.
posted by martyb on Friday July 20 2018, @06:50AM   Printer-friendly
from the oh-chute! dept.

Phys.org:

The parachute system for Orion, America's spacecraft that will carry humans to deep space, deployed as planned after being dropped from an altitude of 6.6 miles on July 12, at the U.S. Army Proving Ground in Yuma, Arizona. Data from the successful seventh drop in a series of eight qualification tests will help NASA engineers certify Orion's parachutes for missions with astronauts.

[...] To demonstrate the system's robustness, this test evaluated parachute deployment under conditions that exceeded the requirements for a system carrying crew. Engineers dropped the dart-shaped test article from an altitude that allowed it to generate enough speed to simulate almost twice as much force on the main chutes as would be expected under normal conditions. Orion's full parachute system includes 11 parachutes—three forward-bay cover parachutes, two drogue parachutes, three pilot parachutes, and three main parachutes that will reduce the capsule's speed after reentry in support of a safe landing in the ocean.

[...] For storage, the parachutes are compacted with hydraulic presses at forces of up to 80,000 pounds, baked for two days and vacuumed sealed. Once packed, they have a density of about 40 pounds per cubic foot, which is roughly the same as wood from an oak tree.


Original Submission

 
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.
Display Options Threshold/Breakthrough Mark All as Read Mark All as Unread
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
  • (Score: 2) by bob_super on Monday July 23 2018, @05:59PM (1 child)

    by bob_super (1357) on Monday July 23 2018, @05:59PM (#711349)

    You mean that flat space isn't exciting, which is why we keep to curvy space with hard bumps at the top ?

    Starting Score:    1  point
    Karma-Bonus Modifier   +1  

    Total Score:   2  
  • (Score: 2) by DannyB on Monday July 23 2018, @06:33PM

    by DannyB (5839) Subscriber Badge on Monday July 23 2018, @06:33PM (#711373) Journal

    Space is not flat.

    But they've got the deep / shallow things backwards. When you're in the flattest or "highest" part, they call that "deep" rather than "shallow".

    Sort of like if you visit Shallow Space 9.

    --
    When trying to solve a problem don't ask who suffers from the problem, ask who profits from the problem.